Floor construction.



J. J.A WHITAGRB. FLOOR GONSTRUGTION. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 1908.

Fatenped Sept 29, 1908.A

UNTTED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

loHN J. WHITACRE, or CANTON, OHIO.

FLooR coNsrnUc-TION.

To all whom 'it may concern: v

Be it known that I, JOHN' J. WHITACRE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Floor Construction, ofwhich the following isa s eoiiication.

The invention re ates to the construction of lire roof oors out of terracotta blocks and reinforced concrete.

The general object of the improvement is to construct a floor with aseries of rows of t'hese extended en( s are butted together,the'

lower side of the concrete beam will be entirely incased.

Further features of the invention relate to the use of terra cotta latesfor the purpose of bridging the joints between the extended ends of thelower walls of the blocks, for the purpose of strengthening these jointsand y furnishing additional protection to the under side of the concretebeam; and to the'usc of transverse partitions in the longitudinalcavities of the blocks adjacent to the ends thereof to act as abutmentsagainst which the ends of the projecting lugs of the concrete beams area( apted to be formed.

These various objects and other accompanying advantagesare attained bythe construction and arran ement illustrated in the.

Figure 1 is a fragmentaryv perspective view showing the general form ofthe improved construction ,i Fig. 2, a detail section of the sameparallel with the floor girders and across the concrete bcams;Fig. 3, a.detail section of the same in the middle line of one concrete beam;Fig. 4, a parallel perspective View of one ofthe terra cotta blocksemployed in the improved construction; Fig. 5, a detached perspectiveview of a preferred form of the closure for the u' per cavities.' Fig.6, a simi-4 lthe closure for lar view of a pre erred Vform oSpecification of Letters Bate-nt. Application mea February 2o, 1919s.lserial No. 416,839.

tension of the lower wa molding the blocks in this form; but thePatented sept'. 29, 1908;

'the'ilower cavities; and Fig. 7, a detached 55 perspective' view of analternate form of. closurefor the cavities.

Similar numerals refer to snmlar parts 'throughout the drawings.

The blocks 1 are provided with one or 60 morelongitudinal cavities 2,and have the end portions 3 of the lower walls extended beyond the endsof the u )er walls. This exllmay be made by blocks are preferablyoriginally madewith' square ends, and while green the sections 4 of theupper portions of each end are partiallyjsevered from the bodyof theblock, which severed sections are readily knocked off the ends of theblocks by the blow 'of a hammer, after the blocks have been burned andshipped to the place of use.

A series of rows of blocks -1-, located side by'side and parallel withthe floor gird- 75 ers 5, "are laid on suitableA scaffolding, and eachrow extends from one Uirder to another. The extending ends of the lowerwall of the blocks in each row are butted cndwise against v'thesimilarly extending lower walls of the 80 blocks of adjoining rows,vthus forming' the channels 6 between the cut off ends of the u perwalls of the respective blocks, in which clfannels the concrete beams 7areadapted to beformed. -lt is evident that in this form of Aconstruction thc` dock of the sc allolding need only be made with theseparated planks 8 Alocated under the ends of thc blocks of theseveralrows, as shown in Fig. 1, instead of with a continuous deck ofplanks as is required in other forms of construction. The transversepartitions 9J and 9*L are then placed in the longitudinal cavities Aofthe blocks. These partitions are located within the cavities ashortdistance from ,the ends of the blocks and at an interval within the endsof the upper and the vertical walls thereof, and; they may be made ofstrips of sheet rnet'alcut inwidth equal to the vertical opening of thecavities and bent as at 10 and 10 100 around the ends of the verticalwalls of the blocks. The notches 11 andv 11a are provided in theloweredges of the partitions 9*? to t over the portions 12 of thevertical walls of the blocks which are preferably left as ribs Vtostrengthen the extended portions of the lower walls thereof. 'Anotherform of partitions may-belused, as shown in Fig. 7 which consists of twoplates 9b of sheet metal or otherl suitable material, connected togetherby one or more rods as 13, the plates being made the same size and shapeas the longitudinal cavities. The metallic reinforcements for theconcrete beams are then placed in the channels 6 formed between the endsof the blocks, and as shown these reinforcements are composed of themain members 14, located longitudinally and preferably near the lowerarts of the beam channels, and the subor mate members 15 connected atinter- The subordinate around the main member from below upwardand'brought together in the middle' of the upper side, whence they aretwisted upward a short distance,whence the respective Wires 16 areseparated and individuallyinclined upward in various directions as maybede# sired. Alpreferred manner of disposing the free ends of the wire isto 'incline them in slightly diverging. directions toward the ends ofthebeam, and to locate the several subor-` dinate members so that lthetwo diverging wire ends of one member will overlap the diverging wireends of the adjacent member, by means of which the beam is thoroughlybound together in various directions throughout its body. 1 Thetransverse partitions and metallic reinforcements having been placed inposition, the concrete beams are formed in the channels between vtheends of the blocks, and in so doing the concrete is run into the ends ofthe longitudinal' cavities 2 andv tamped against the transversepartitions '9 and 9u therein, thus forming theA separate projecting lugs17 in the respective ends of the cav-ities which lugs constitutesubstantial and positive supports for the blocks. The floor surface 18is made of a layer of concrete in conjunction with the beams andconsequently forms a monolith therewith, and it will be understood thatthe Hoor is suitably sustainedl either directly on the girder flanges or, as shown, on supplemental terra cotta blocks, as 1.9 and 20 restingon the girder flanges and that after the concrete beams and floorsurface have been set and hardened, the scaffolding is entirely removed,whereupon the ceiling surface is preferablyfinished, as with the layerof plaster 21. The outer surfaces of the respective blocks arepreferably provided with the longitudinal grooves 22 to increase theadhering surface of the cement which is laid in the. joints 23 and 23aand of the concrete and the plaster.

It is evident that the concrete beams will span the distance between thefloor girders and constitute a positive support for each in- I dividualblock in the floor, .and the metallic -reinforcements, having the lonitudinal mainv member in the lower part an the subordinate membersreaching in various directions upward through the beams and into the concrete layer of the floor surface, will rigidly stiiien and sustain thebeams. By this construction, the abutting extending portions of thelower walls of the blocks completelyr cover and protect the lower sidesof the concrete beams so that they cannot be chipped off by the actionvof fire to expose the metalic reinforcement therein. As a further meansof protecting theA lower side of the reinforced beam, the cut ofiportions of the ends of the blocks can be broken into pieces to form theplates 24, which are laid on the Ve5:- tended lower walls of the blocksand spanl the joint 23 between thc` same.

It will'be understood that the use of the transverse partitions in thelongitudinal cavities is not essential to the other features of theimprovement although the same are very desirable in connection with theuse of a thin concrete, and also to form `an abutment against which theprojecting lugs can be. tamped in the formation of the beam. The generalidea of floor construction including a series' of rows of blocks havinglongitudinal cavities therein, thel blocks of cach row being locatedside. by side with channels between the ends of blocks of respectiverows, and concrete beams in the channels and having lugs projecting intothe ends of the block cavities, and a monolithic concrete layer on theblocks, and metallic reinfourements binding the beams and layer togetherwhich is illustrated and described, but not claimed herein, is made thesubject-matter of'another application for Letters Patent, filed December23, 1907, Serial No. 407,733: of which'. former applicationthisapplication is a substitute in so far as its subject-matter is dis`closed therein. And the particular form of the metallic reinforcementfor the concrete beams, which is illustrated and described, but notclaimed, in said former application and also herein, is made the.subject-matter of a divisional application for Letters Patent, filed l`ebruary 21, 1908, Serial No. 410,058.

What I claim herein as my invention and desire to secure by LettersPatent, ise- 1. A` floor structure including a series of rows of blockswith longitudinal cavities therein and having -theends of the lowerwalls extending longitudinally beyond the ends of then )per portionsofthe blocks, the blocks of eac Lrow being located side by side and theextended ends of the lower walls of the blocks of adjacent rows beingbutted together to form a channel between the ends of the upper portionsthereof, and concrete beams in the channels and havinfr lugs projectinginto the ends of the bloc; cavities.

2. A floor structure including a series of rows of blocks withlongitudinal cavities therein andhaving the ends of the lower wallsextending longitudinally beyond the the blocks of adjacent rows beingbutted lto-l getherto form a channel between the ends ofV the upperportions thereof, concrete beams.

inthe channels and having lugsprojecting l linto the ends of the blockcavities, .and Inetallic reinforcementsl inthe beams.

3. A iloor structure including a series of rows of blocks withlongitudlnal ,cavities therein and having the ends 'of' the. lower wallsextending longitudinally beyond the ends of the ulpper portions of the bocks, the blocks of eac 1 row being located side'by'side and theextended-ends of the lower walls of the blocks of adjacent rows beingbutted t0- gethei' to forln a channel between the ends of the upperportions thereof, terracotta plates' spanning the joints between-theends of the' the blocks ol adjacent rows being butted to-` gether toform a channel `between the ends of the upper portions thereof, terracotta plates spanning the joints between the ends of the lower walls,andvconcrete beams in the channels and havingjlugs projecting into theends of the block cavities, and metallic reinforcements 1n the beams.

5. A loor structure including a series of rows of blacks withlongitudinal cavities therein and having the ends of thelowerwallsextend- Liegilongitudinally beyond the ends of the upportions of theblocks, the blocksof each row being located side' by side and theextendl5 ed ends of the lower walls of the blocks' of adjacent rowsbeing butted together to form a channel between the ends of the upperportions thereof, transverse partitions in the longitudinal cavities atan interval Within the ends of the upper and the vertical walls thereof,and concrete beams in the channels and having separate-projecting lugsformed gether to form a channel between the ends of v the upper portionsthereof, transverse partitions inthe longitudinal cavities at an mtervalwithin the ends of the upper and the vertical walls thereof, concreteeams in the channels and having separate projectin lugs formed thereonin the ends of eachy lock cavity and abutting the artitions, andmetallic reinforcements in t e beams.'-

7. The combination of a block having a longitudinal cavity therein, anda sheet metal partition adapted to be entered in the longitudinal cavityand having portions bent outwardly along the walls of the block andthence transversely across the ends thereof.

8. A floor structure including a lseries 'of rows of blocks havinglongitudinal cavities therein, the blocks of each row being located sideby side with intervals between the ends of the blocks of adjacent rows,transverse artitions in the longitudinal cavities at an Interval withinthe ends of the upper and the vertical walls thereof, and concrete beamsin the intervals and having separate projecting lugs formed thereoninthe ends of each block cavity and abutting the partitions.

. 9.' A floor structure including a series of rows of blocks havinglongitudinal cavities therein, the blocks of each row being located sideby side with interv'ais between the ends ofthe blocks of adjacent rows,transverse partitions in the longitudinal cavities at au interval withinthe ends of the u )per and the vertical walls thereof,concrete )cams inthe intervals and having separate projecting lugs formed thereon in theends of cach block cavity and abutting the iartitions, and metallicreinforcements'in t 1e beams. j JOHN J. WlII'lAtflE. Witnesses:

JosEPn FREAsE, IIAnnY FnEAsE.

